The Way It Should Be

Guem Jan Di was furious, & even her small little frame packed a heck of a punch. How dare he insult her family that way. He may not have a family worth a bucket of bolts but Jan Di was proud of her family even if they were poor. That's it, they were over! She'd told him such as well. She'd never regret it. Gu Jun Pyo was a self centered arrogant brat!

Nodding to herself in agreement she stormed the streets of Seoul. Slowing her pace Jan Di wondered where to go. Home wasn't too pleasant an option as shed just be alone. Her parents & Gangsang had moved to the country side about a year ago leaving Jan Di-a in the city by herself. Ga Eul! No, Jan Di slumped; Ga Eul had gone on a date with Yi Jung today so she wasn't available either. Sighing Jan Di allowed herself to stop and sink down to sit on the steps of a local shop.

"What I need is a Firefigh…" Sweet tones jingled from her cell phone. Removing it from her pocket Jan Di stared at it in utter disbelief as it read 'Yoon Ji Hoo Calling'. How did he always know?

"Yoboseyo?"

"Jan Di-a, How'd you like to go somewhere with me?" How she loved the smooth sound of his voice. Sunbae always had the right words for her too.

"I'd love to! Where should I meet you?"

"How about inside the café you're sitting in front of?" Spinning around Jan Di looked threw the windows, scanning the booths she could see. Sure enough in the third booth to her right Sunbae sat grinning & waved. Returning her phone to her pocket Jan Di pushed open the café door, motioning to the waitress that she need not be seated she cautiously picked her way threw the many tables & people. Reaching Ji Hoo, Jan Di smiled in the true relief she felt to see him. Taking a seat across from him, she gave a small sigh, she was happy to see him.

"Hey, do I hear alarms?" Ji Hoo tilted his head ever so slightly as to indicate intense listening.

"Sunbae, you have incredible hearing. What are you doing here? Are you awaiting someone?" Looking around the café Jan Di caught several of the waitresses staring at Ji Hoo while whispering.

"Yeah, for you. You want something to drink?" Motioning for the waitress Ji Hoo gave Jan Di little time to respond. As the waitress approached Jan Di wondered if she could have walked anymore seductively if she'd tried.

"Anything you want!" The waitress's voice came out sticky & slow. Glancing at the women Jan Di noticed she wasn't even paying attention to her sitting there.

"Aniyo, I'm fine thanks." Smiling as best she could Jan Di resisted the urge to pulverize this woman for checking out HER Sunbae in such a manner. Ji Hoo nodded his head for the waitresses dismissal & she practically walked backwards not wanting to get her eyes off of him.

"So Jan Di-a, what's wrong? Does it have something to do with Gu Jun Pyo?" Taking a sip of his tea Ji Hoo eyed Jan Di intently. He loved how her hair fell around her face, creating the perfect frame. Her rosy pink lips had such beautiful form as well. Jan Di could not, by the true definition of the word, be described a graceful, but in his eyes she was. Taking in all her charms Ji Hoo caught himself feeling heated & realized it would be best to look away.

Jan Di sat quietly, staring at the table's smooth surface she contemplated how to answer. Hearing a small cough from across the table Jan Di looked up at Ji Hoo. In the same moment Ji Hoo allowed himself to return his gaze to her & their eyes locked. Jan Di felt breathless, safe & comfortable. Why did she never feel such things with Jun Pyo? Could Ga Eul be right, there's only one soul mate in the world for a person? His eyes held so much emotion; it seemed at times as though the universe lived just behind those chocolate brown eyes.

Still maintaining the gaze Ji Hoo felt the heat that had been given little time to dissipate flare anew within him. Slowly that heat was traveling from the base of his head right down to a much more tender area. It felt like hours were passing as they sat without saying a word. Jan Di felt butterflies fluttering around in her stomach & couldn't seem to break away from the hold his eyes had on her. Finally, someone decided to return her brain & her voice to her control.

"Gu Jun Pyo is no longer a concern of mine." Shifting her gaze after what felt like eternity, she inhaled deeply as though she'd been deprived of oxygen. "I've broken up with him & will never return to him. I don't care if he can offer me the world dripping with diamonds. That's not what I want; I want love, true love." Jan Di suddenly felt as though there was a stone on her shoulders and hoped someone would remove it quick.

Ji Hoo was still trying to contain his yet heated member while comprehending what Jan Di-a had said. Had he heard her right?

"Jan Di-a, you are no longer dating Gu Jun Pyo?" Softly shaking her head she confirmed his question. "What are you going to do now?" He fought to keep his hopes under control.

"I'm going to get on with my life. Although I'll admit I have a fear, Sunbae." Casting a quick, shy glance Sunbae's way Jan Di dipped her head down. Lowering his head to try & still see her face Ji Hoo waited patiently for her to finish. "I'm afraid that I'm gonna lose my firefighter too, now that I have rejected Jun Pyo." As the true realization that it was possible she would lose her Sunbae, washed over her tears threatened to rain & she sniffled slightly.

A surprised & wide eyed Ji Hoo let his arm extend out taking Jan Di's hand in his, he threaded his fingers threw hers & held tight. "Guem Jan Di, put your fears to rest. For no one, not even the great Gu Jun Pyo can take me away from your side. I'm your firefighter as long as you want me, as long as you need me, as long as you'll let me & even after!" A solitary tear trickled down her cheek. Jan Di smiled, really smiled for the first time in weeks. With his words she'd felt half the stone come sliding off.

"Thank you, Sunbae." Still smiling Jan Di shifted her gaze to their still intertwined fingers & slightly blushed, but made no move to with draw her hand. His warmth was a comfort & she wasn't ready to give that up yet.

"Come walk with me." Ji Hoo dumped some cash on the table with his free hand & rose out of the booth. Still holding fast to her hand they left the café. Jan Di had completely forgotten to glance at the reaction of the waitresses to Ji Hoo's hand enveloping hers. Then she decided she didn't care. They had strolled over to a beautiful little park. Sunlight filtered threw the fully greened trees. For the first time that day Jan Di noticed how beautiful the weather was. It was a perfect spring day, the sun was warm but the breeze kept things at an even temperature. Birds were singing loud & squirrels scampered about stopping only long enough to dig up a long time buried acorn or peanut. The sky was a cheery blue, clear & true. A few puffy white clouds appeared only long enough to shine in a moment of the suns glory before traveling on to another location.

As Jan Di took in the scene, she nearly forgot Ji Hoo was there & that he still had her hand in his. 'Peace, this is what peace must feel like. What an amazing feeling. I never want this to end.' Turning her face, Jan Di looked at Ji Hoo whom for the moment seemed preoccupied with something in the distance. This provided her with a view to his chiseled features too good to pass up. Everything about Sunbae was in perfect proportion & unison. His eyes were gracefully slanted; his nose was slender, adding to his already sleek frame. Sunbae's jaw was strong & cut. His lips…oh those lips…What would it be like to kiss those cherry colored lips? Would they feel as soft as they would appear or even better? Jan di closed her eyes for a moment allowing her imagination to create a moment of pure bliss; their eyes would close & as he approached she would smell him. He smelled of vanilla & of the deep green tea he always drank. Snapping her eyes open, she caught herself. She was imagining something that would probably never be & she felt a small drop as something inside of her seemed to sadden.

Looking back at him, he was still trained on a far out object. His neck was slender and long. His skin looked baby soft & if all of him felt like his hand, then he was. Closing his eyes Ji Hoo sighed & breathed in deeply.

"What do you see Jan Di-a?" His question startled her & she wasn't sure to what he was referring. Turning his body to stand directly in front of her Ji Hoo took her other hand & looked deep into her eyes. Jan Di felt her knees threatening to buckle on her, such passion laid in his eyes. Ji Hoo didn't want to scare her, & a part of him felt as though asking this now might be taking advantage of her state but he'd waited so long, he needed to know. "When you look at me…what do you see?" Hope spread threw his soul that she might say what he wanted to hear. That he was the only one for her as he had come to realize that she indeed was the only one for him.

Jan Di's breath caught in her chest as she saw what she thought to be need in his eyes. She wanted him, she had always wanted him, but was she ready to walk right into another relationship when she had just walked out of one? Sunbae was nothing like Jun Pyo. Never had she for a second felt threatened, belittled, offended, or by any means uncared for in Ji Hoo's company. In fact, everything just the opposite! What would a relationship of that sort be like with her Sunbae?

"I see my friend, my firefighter, my Sunbae who will always be there for me." It was the truth, so why did she feel incomplete & as though she had just lied to him? Because she had not spoken the whole truth her heart wanted to say to him, that's why. But what her heart so dearly wanted to speak would include so much more than words. Jan Di saw the pain her heart felt in his eyes. Closing his eyes again he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Lingering only a few seconds he reluctantly pulled back with the feeling that he had just left his heart with her, begging her silently not to crush it. 'Time, perhaps all she needs is some time & space. Until then I will continue to be her firefighter, I will continue to do what I've always done when it comes to Jan Di, fight, pray & hope.' Letting go of both her hands he turned to stroll down the path. Immediately he missed her hand in his. It had felt so right. His hand now felt empty & cold. Jan Di looked in his direction still able to smell his scent as he had leaned into kiss her head. Holding her hand up in front of her she too felt empty & cold. Letting her hand drop Jan Di felt tears threatening to shower again & looked down the path. Ji Hoo had stopped walking & was now talking on his cell phone. Turning back to look in Jan Di's direction he motioned but was out of ear shots range for Jan Di to hear what was being said.

Ji Hoo seemed to nod in agreement to the person speaking & hung up before returning his phone to his pocket. Walking back up the path to Jan Di he noticed she looked tired. Beautiful he thought, but tired. "I'm sorry Jan Di-a but I need to return home for some work. Why don't I take you home first?" Sunbae gestured in the direction of the Café they'd met in a few hours before. Suddenly Jan Di felt tired. Accepting his offer they walked back towards the café & it was then that she noticed his motorcycle locked up on the side of the building.

Time from the café to her apartment seemed to fly or maybe Jan Di had actually fallen asleep on Ji Hoo's shoulder while holding on, she wasn't really sure. Dismounting the bike, Jan Di removed the helmet that Ji Hoo actually now considered hers because she used it so often. Holding it in her hands she stared at it a moment in silence before handing it back with the best smile she could produce at the time. "Thank you Sunbae, for everything. I enjoyed our walk." Taking the helmet into his hands Ji Hoo used every ounce of control he had not to jump off his bike to scoop her into his arms & beg her to marry him then & there, or at least to kiss her as a beautiful woman should be kissed. Clearing his throat he managed to get out a simply "Your Welcome."

Jan Di turned but found it hard to walk, as though her shoes were filled with lead. "Jan Di-a!" Spinning around she looked at Sunbae with hope filled eyes. "Would you like to join me at my house for diner tomorrow night?" Now it was Ji Hoo whom was filled with hope as relief spread threw Jan Di's very soul.

"I'd love to Sunbae! What time?" & there it was his drop dead smile. The one that could melt her heart, weaken her knees, bring sunshine threw a rainy day & heat up a very low & tender area.

"How about 5:00 pm? I'll pick you up. Dress comfortably."

"Araso, Komoyo Sunbae. Good-bye!" Smiling like she had been invited to dine with the president she waved as Ji Hoo started his bike & drove off into the distance. Diner with Sunbae, it wouldn't be the first time, but the first since she was single. Maybe she could find a way to tell him what her heart really truly felt! Maybe shed show him.

To be Continued…

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. This is what I hoped for the whole series! I'm a Jihoo & Jandi Fan all the way! More is on the way, there will be two versions of this story, one rated T-K+ and the other a little steamier, rated M. Please leave me feedback!